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LABORATORY ACTIVITY 5. Plant Growth and Development Seed Germination

The document outlines a laboratory exercise focused on plant growth and development, specifically seed germination. It details the importance of understanding seed germination processes, factors affecting it, and the distinction between growth and development. The exercise includes procedures for testing the effects of scarification, light, temperature, and types of germination on various seeds.

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arwinpagaduan0918
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8 views5 pages

LABORATORY ACTIVITY 5. Plant Growth and Development Seed Germination

The document outlines a laboratory exercise focused on plant growth and development, specifically seed germination. It details the importance of understanding seed germination processes, factors affecting it, and the distinction between growth and development. The exercise includes procedures for testing the effects of scarification, light, temperature, and types of germination on various seeds.

Uploaded by

arwinpagaduan0918
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CROP SCIENCE 01

Principles of Crop Production

Exercise No. 5

Plant Growth and Development: Seed Germination


As you partly learned about the different plant parts in the previous lesson, it should be
important to have knowledge of the growth and development of plants and how those plant parts
came to be. Plant growth and development are essential processes that govern the life cycle of
plants, from germination to maturation and reproduction. These processes involve a series of
complex and tightly regulated events, influenced by both internal genetic factors and external
environmental conditions. Understanding the intricacies of plant growth and development is
crucial for farmers, researchers, and gardeners alike, as it provides insights into optimizing crop
yield, improving plant health, and enhancing overall agricultural productivity.

Crop production involves the sowing or planting of a unit of propagation and the
progression of the plant through the subsequent phases of growth and development to the
harvesting of the economic yield. During this process, it is important to distinguish between growth
and development and to understand the internal and external factors that can influence them.

Seed germination is a fundamental process in the life cycle of plants, marking the beginning
of their journey from a dormant seed to a vigorous and actively growing organism. It is a complex
and highly regulated event that involves the resumption of metabolic activities and the emergence
of a new plant from the seed. Understanding the mechanisms and factors that influence seed
germination is crucial for successful plant propagation, crop production, and ecological
restoration.

Water, as the most crucial element in seed germination, activates enzymes and metabolic
processes within the seed. This phase breaks the dormancy of the seed, allowing it to undergo a
series of changes leading to the emergence of a seedling. The main stages of seed germination
include water uptake, activation of enzymes, mobilization of stored nutrients, protein synthesis,
and the elongation of the embryonic axis, ultimately resulting in the emergence of the radicle
(embryonic root).
Objectives

After the laboratory exercise the students will be able to:

1. Differentiate Growth and Development.


2. Understand how seed germination occurs.
3. Define what seed dormancy is and the principle behind seed scarification.
4. Understand the effects of different environmental factors on seed germination.
5. Differentiate the two types of germination.

Procedures

General Instruction

Based on the observations on the experiments, make a consolidated scientific paper on:

1. The effects of scarification techniques on the germination rate of dormant seeds,


2. The relation of light to the germination of seeds,
3. The effect of temperature on seed germination, and
4. The different types of germination.

Materials

A. 200 mature seeds of ipil ipil (Leucaena leucocephala)


Sand paper
Sulfuric acid
4 seed Boxes
B. 4 Petri dishes
Bleach
Tissue paper
100 seeds of lettuce
100 seeds of pechay
C. Paper towels
Bleach
3 rectangular microwaveable containers
75 Seeds of mungbean
D. Planting materials for the field garden
Hand trowel
A. Breaking Seed Dormancy

1. Collect 200 mature seeds of Ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala).

2. Subject the seeds to the following treatments, using 50 seeds per treatment:

● Treatment 1 – Control

● Treatment 2 – Mechanical abrasion of seed coat using sandpaper

● Treatment 3 – Physical scarification by soaking seeds in boiling water for 10 sec.

● Treatment 4 – Acid scarification using concentrated sulfuric acid for 20 sec.

3. Wash seeds thoroughly with tap water immediately after treatment.

4. Plant the seeds in seed boxes containing garden soil and water as needed.

5. Label the containers with their corresponding treatments.

6. Each group in the laboratory class will serve as a replication for each treatment.

7. Count the number of seeds that germinated after one week, and determine the germination
rate for each treatment using the formula:

Germination rate (%) = Number of seeds that germinated x 100


Number of seeds sown

8. Tabulate the results.

Table 1. Rate of seed germination.

Replication
Treatment Total Mean
1 2 3 4 5 6

Treatment 1

Treatment 2

Treatment 3

Treatment 4
B. Light and Seed Germination

1. Prepare 4 petri dishes sterilized with bleach and lined with moist tissue paper (maintain
proper moisture).

2. Evenly distribute 50 seeds of lettuce in each of two petri dishes, and 50 seeds of pechay in
each of the remaining petri dishes.

3. Label the petri dishes as lettuce in light, lettuce in darkness, pechay in light, pechay in
darkness.

4. Place the two petri dishes in a well-lighted place, and the other two under a cardboard box.

5. Observe the set-up after one week and determine the germination rate of the seeds.

Table 2. Germination of seeds as affected by light.

Light Darkness

Lettuce

Pechay

C. Temperature and Seed Germination

1. Moisten 3 sets of paper towels.

2. Evenly distribute 25 mungbean seeds on the paper towels.

3. Roll each paper towel and put them inside a sterilized container. Cover the containers.

4. Place one container inside the refrigerator (approximately at 25°C), another at room
temperature (approximately 35°C), and inside an oven or heating pan (approximately
45°C).

5. Observe the set-up after one week and determine the germination rate of the seeds.

Table 3. Germination of seeds as affected by temperature.

25°C 35°C 45°C

Germination rate
D. Types of Germination

1. Collect 10 seeds of Corn, Peanut, Mungbean, and Stringbean.

2. Plant the seeds in the field with adequate plating distance and water as needed.

3. After 1 week, dig up some of the sample plants and observe the position of the cotyledons
relative to the soil surface.

4. Determine whether the crops have an epigeal or hypogeal germination. Continue tending
to the remaining crops, ensuring they receive adequate moisture and nutrition, as they will
serve as the subjects for the next topic.

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